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SoCal Beauty

Posted: Fri May 17, 2019 8:53 am
by gearhead141
Found this 66 Deluxe on CL and could not believe the condition of this car. Wow! It looks like it just came off the showroom floor. The asking price is steep, but in all fairness, there is probably somebody out there who will pay. Take a look and tell me what you think. Here is a teaser.
https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto ... 92493.html

Re: SoCal Beauty

Posted: Fri May 17, 2019 10:05 am
by Otto Skorzeny
Are you thinking about buying this car? It looks pretty nice but $25K is extremely high in my opinion, especially for an unrestored car.

I'm a little skeptical of the "all original" claim too, since there are some things about the car which are not stock.

The floor mat looks nice but its missing its chrome surround (unless it's been painted black).

The Oldsmobile emblems on the rear quarter panels have been added and are not factory installed. They're probably from a 1968 Toronado.

The side marker lights on the front fenders have also been added and are not factory installed.

What's that toggle switch on the dash below the ignition key?

The ad says it has a 455cid engine. Of course it should have a 425 cid engine. Perhaps the seller doesn't know or maybe the engine has been replaced with a later one.

My car was in similar condition inside and out when I bought it in 2014. The odometer said 38,000 miles but it actually had 138,000 miles. I'd suspect that this car has 150,000 miles on it unless the seller has records to prove 50k.

The radio antenna is missing.

If you're thinking about buying it, I'd offer $15K but wouldn't go over$18k. Look closely for evidence of a repaint like overspray under the car and on weather strips and door sills. Look for straight tape lines between shiny new paint and old worn paint in those areas.

Re: SoCal Beauty

Posted: Fri May 17, 2019 12:13 pm
by gearhead141
No Otto, I would never pay that kind of money, but like I said, somebody might spring for it. Yeah, I don't think it is a 455 but then you never know. I didn't even realize when I was looking at the photos that the radio mast is missing; that's an easy $1000 discount. The prices you are suggesting are much more reasonable, and the seller may have to come down to that. Since CL is now charging for ads, it is in the seller's best interest to price the vehicle at a value that people would pay. Otherwise the money spent on the ad is for naught as nobody will even call. And by the way, the seller didn't even leave a number so that makes it more difficult as you have to communicate by e-mail.

Re: SoCal Beauty

Posted: Fri May 17, 2019 12:25 pm
by gearhead141
That switch below the dash just may be for hazard flashers as those weren't a factory item in '66. I believe it may have been an option and that is where it would be located. The VIN given states the car is a deluxe model but I thought those all came with the lights in the lower front of the fenders. My thoughts are that this is a standard model. What say you?

Re: SoCal Beauty

Posted: Fri May 17, 2019 5:51 pm
by Otto Skorzeny
I think it probably is a DeLuxe since it has air conditioning and power windows, both of which came standard on the DeLuxe. It also has the DeLuxe interior.

My car is a DeLuxe but the original buyer deleted both the a/c and the power windows. They'd pretty much let you do whatever you wanted back then.

The cornering lights look completely different from that little square thing. That's an add on from who-knows-where? The cornering lights were an extra cost option on the Base model and the DeLuxe.

Re: SoCal Beauty

Posted: Sun May 19, 2019 12:23 pm
by Jelonek
about this car are talking a lot of people in german Old´s forum

Re: SoCal Beauty

Posted: Sun May 19, 2019 2:38 pm
by Otto Skorzeny
Well, tell them to have it inspected by someone in America for a full report. Don't want to buy a pig in a poke.

Re: SoCal Beauty

Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 2:57 am
by Jelonek
ok, … thanks 8-)

Re: SoCal Beauty

Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2019 10:08 am
by Talavero
Otto Skorzeny wrote:Well, tell them to have it inspected by someone in America for a full report. Don't want to buy a pig in a poke.


Are there services that specialize in doing that?

Re: SoCal Beauty

Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2019 4:31 pm
by Otto Skorzeny
There are.

My first choice would be to contact a club specializing in the car you want to buy. They might be able to put you in touch with a member who would be willing to inspect a car for you. Most car people love looking at cars and helping out other car people.

In Atlanta there was/is a company called Car Checkers. They normally inspect more modern used vehicles for people who aren't car savvy. My business partner hired them to inspect a used F-150 before she bought it. They checked everything and sent her a printed report. It was about $99 at the time.